The Freelance Alchemist
by flameboy21th
Summary: Set a few years after Roy Mustang's revolution. Fido Antonio is a freelancer who is living a simple life. Things change forever when a group of rebels attack the citizens of Central City. Saved by a newbie State Alchemist under Lieutenant Colonel Alex Louis Armstrong, they set out to investigate what on earth is going on
1. Chapter 1

The Freelance Alchemist

Chapter 1: Assault

February fifth, 1921, 6:45 p.m.

"Mr. Alchemist, could you fix it, please?" the little boy stared pleadingly.

Fido Antonio scratched his head while he examined the fragment of a broken vase, the tiniest of which had the size of an ant. "Are you sure you have collected all the fragments? They are pretty easy to miss," Antonio told the boy.

The boy nodded firmly.

"Well, if you say so." Antonio pulled out a white sheet out of his bag. On the sheet was an already drawn transmutation circle, one that was designed for fixing potteries. He laid the transmutation circle on the ground, and then the vase fragments on top of it, making sure they all fitted nicely.

Antonio activated the transmutation circle. Blue electric sparks dance around. The fragment slowly connected to each other until they formed a complete vase. Finally, the cracks were sealed up and the vase was as good as new.

"Thanks, mister," the little boy received his vase and gave Antonio 50 cens in return. Antonio watched the boy running away, hoping he would not drop the vase again. He looked at his pocket watch; it was almost seven o'clock.

_Well, let's call it a day._ He collected his transmutation circle and his bag and then headed home.

RATATATATATATATATATAT!

Gunshots blazed across the Central street. There were screams out of pain and fear. _What the hell?_ Antonio thought. He spun around and saw a group of gunmen shooting at unsuspecting bystanders, men, women, and children alike. "Damn it!"

The alchemist rushed forward. He pulled out another transmutation circle, the one that transmutes concrete, and dropped it on the ground. With a flash of blue sparks, a concrete wall rose from the ground, at the expense of all the concrete nearby. The 10-inch thick wall provided a shield against the bullets, although he still had to consistently repair it.

"Quick, this way!" he called the bystanders, and they ran behind the shield, safe from the gunmen.

BAM! BAM!

The gunmen pulled out hand grenades and threw them at Antonio's shield. The blast crumbled the concrete; it was collapsing too quickly to repair.

Suddenly, a zap of electric hit one of the gunmen. His muscles shook violently; all his hair was burned out; his eyes rolled upward. He collapsed on the ground, dead.

The other goons looked behind them to see their attacker. Facing them was a 16-year old girl, in military uniform.

Author's notes: this is the first time I publish any fiction, so I need a hell lot of feedback here. I am trying to stick as closely as the alchemy in the manga and its canon as closely as possible (with a noncanon side story of an OC, that is)

Hope you like my OC


	2. Chapter 2

The Freelance Alchemist

Chapter 2: The Lightning Alchemist

It was a girl in a military uniform (and a miniskirt.) She had long brown hair and dark gray eyes. She also had a large belt that had one bronze and one silver medal attached on it.

The goons raised their guns, but before they had time to pull the trigger, the girl placed her hand on her bronze medal, blue electric sparks lit it, and the guns were yanked out from them and landed near the her feet. She placed her hand on the silver one; it also emitted small electric sparks, and then shot multiple blasts at the goons, paralyzing all of them. They collapsed, shaking violently, but still lived.

Behind the girl was a squad of Central soldiers. The soldiers handcuffed the goons and pushed them on the personnel transport vehicles.

The female alchemist looked around. "Secure the dead bodies; don't let anyone get near them," she commanded.

"Yes, Major."

Fido Antonio walked out of his concrete shield as he was signaled by the female alchemist. She gave him a brief smile.

"Major Gertrude Houston, the Lightning Alchemist. I work for Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong," she introduced herself

"Fido Antonio, err… freelancer. I…err… work for myself," Fido babbled, but he managed to shake her hand.

BANG!

A flash bang went off. The fierce light almost blinded Fido. He felt incredibly dizzy and lost his balance. After a few minutes he regained his vision, although it was still blurry. Nearby, Major Houston and her squad struggled to stand up.

Something was wrong. Fido could feel it, but he din not know what.

"Damn it!" Houston cursed, "not again."

"Again?" Fido asked, bewildered.

"The bodies, they're gone," Houston pointed at the street. To Fido's shock, all the bodies of the victims and the killed gunman were indeed gone, and the captured goon was nowhere to be seen.

"Every time, we all fail to stop them. These bastards kill a whole bunch of people, steal their bodies, and then ran away. Every… single…time."

Author's note: Here we can see the conflict build up of my story. I also include some miniskirt jokes (they will reappear later.) I hope you guys like my second OC.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Lieutenant Colonel's Visit

1:00 a.m.

The freelance alchemist Fido Antonio was escorted to Command Center.

Gertrude Houston opened the door to her office. She took a seat on the sofa near her desk, carefully crossing her legs.

_This is embarrassing! _She thought, uncomfortable in her short skirt. _Why do I have to wear this stupid thing?_

She began reviewing her notes. More then a year ago a group of soldiers led by Roy Mustang successfully overthrew the generals in Command Center. General Grumman took his place as the Fuhrer of the whole nation, while Roy mustang got promoted to Brigadier Colonel. Under Fuhrer Grumman, significant reforms were made (some of them involved miniskirts.)

However, the country was far from stable. There was a mysterious rebel group relentlessly murdering civilians in the Central City. It was odd that those rebels stole the bodies from their victims, for reasons unknown. Last evening, some rebels opened an attack, but stalled by an amateur alchemist. Despite this, Houston and her men still failed to capture them.

Suddenly, the door of her office crashed into pieces. A hulking man marched right inside. He was almost bald except for a blonde fringe on the top of his head, and he looked as though he was radiating pink sparkles.

Gertrude almost jumped to her feet, if she had not reminded herself that she were wearing a miniskirt.

"Ah, hello Lightning Alchemist. I have talked to the eyewitness you brought in." The man spoke; his voice boomed across the office.

"Oh… Lieu…Lieutenant Colonel… um… how was it?" Gertrude swallowed. _This can't be good,_ she thought.

"DISASTROUS!" Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong shouted, so loud that Gertrude could feel an earthquake. He bent his muscles, and his shirt was torn into shreds; he was now radiating even more pink sparkles. "THAT BOY COULDN'T EVEN REMEMBER HOW THE REBELS LOOK LIKE. HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY LET THE THEM ESCAPE AND BRING BACK A GOOD-FOR-NOTHING WITNESS LIKE THIS?"

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant Colonel! I'M REALLY SORRY!" The Lightning Alchemist panicked.

Without any further word, Armstrong grabbed Gertrude by the arm and dragged her out of her office. The last thing she saw was the broken door of her office. _Why does this always happen to me?_She whined

**Author's notes: This chapter is mostly non-action, but its purpose is to provide some background info. I hope Armstrong and the miniskirt will keep you entertained.**

**Please provide some feedback so I can improve my writings.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Team up

Fido Antonio sat alone in Lt. Col. Armstrong's office, struggling to stay awake. He had drunk a large amount of coffee, but it did not seem to do the trick; he almost dozed off a few times.

The door opened, and the hulking man walked inside, dragging a State Alchemist Fido saw earlier with him. Fido did not understand why Armstrong was going shirtless, or why he was radiating so many sparkles. _This guy is really creeping me out._

The female alchemist grunted and then found a seat next to Fido.

"Why the hell is his shirt?" he whispered to her.

"It's not my fault the Lieutenant Colonel hates shirts," the girl hissed, "how come you didn't remember anything?"

"My memory is... not that good. I can't even remember your name!"

"SILENCE!" Armstrong shouted. "Okay, since Mr. Antonio here isn't a reliable witness and Ms. Houston has time and time again failed to capture any rebel soldier, I have no choice but to force Mr. Antonio to join Ms. Houston doing her work. I will make sure Mr. Antonio is well-paid for his assistance."

"Wait a minute, why do you guys even need my help? I'm just an amateur."

Armstrong lowered his voice, "since most State Alchemists were fired, imprisoned, or killed during Roy Mustang's revolution, we really need anyone with some alchemical knowledge to assist us."

Gertrude Houston raised her eyebrows, "wait, what does alchemy has to do with the rebels?"

Armstrong placed a finger on his lips. He placed a small notebook on Gertrude's hands. "Go to the Second Branch Library and look for the documents written in this, then you will know where to start."

"The Second Branch Library, huh?" Gertrude stared at the notebook Armstrong gave her, then at her silver pocket watch."

**Author's notes: For some reason, I have some trouble to find a convincing way to have Fido team up with Gertrude. If readers have any idea, please include in the review.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Second Branch Library

6:00 a.m.

February 6th, 1921

The Lightning Alchemist Gertrude Houston and the freelance alchemist Fido Antonio headed to the Second Branch Library.

"Alright, listen up. My name is Gertrude Houston. Don't forget it or I will grill you."

Fido repeated her name again and again until it was stored in his long-term memory. By the time he was done, he and Gertrude were standing in front of the gigantic doors of the Second Branch Library.

"Just a little curious, how much do you really know about alchemy?" Gertrude asked.

"Not much, I can transmute almost any solid object. Beyond that I'm as blinded as a bat."

"Not bad for an amateur," Gertrude commented, then added "but not good enough to be a pro, either."

Fido shrugged, "I just need to be that good to live."

The two walked inside the library. Since the documents were top secret, they were stored in a secret vault, only State Alchemists were allowed to access it. After Gertrude showed her silver pocket watch, she was allowed to enter the vault. Fido Antonio, however, had to wait outside.

Bored and without anything to do, Fido wandered around the bookshelves. He searched for some alchemy books, hoping to advance his skills. While he was walking, he accidentally slammed into someone. His bags bell on the ground; sheets of paper scattered.

"Hey, watch that!" the other person shrieked. I was a teenage girl with long sidetails and a faceful of freckles.

"I'm sorry. Are you alright?"

The girl did not reply; her eyes fixed on the transmutation circles printed on the white sheets. She picked one of them up and examined it.

"So you are an alchemist, huh?" she said at last.

Fido nodded. Behind him, Gertrude Houston walked out of the Top Secret Section with an armful of maps and documents.

"Care to help me?" She asked.

"Sure." Fido replied; he received half of the stuff to carry. When he remembered the girl he met earlier, he looked around for her, but she was gone, leaving a neat stack of paper next to his bag.

**Author Notes: Another OC is introduced in this chapter. She may have some importance in the story later.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Our First Clues

"Here is my place," Gertrude opened the door to her apartment. It was quite small with only a living room, a bedroom, and a kitchen. There were papers littered all over the floor and the tables and sofas were covered in a thick coat of dirt.

"It looks so… lovely," remarked Fido. "Pretty brownish."

Gertrude blushed. She had never been so dedicated in taking care of her home. To have a visitor all the sudden, it was embarrassing.

As they approach one of the dusty tables, Gertrude laid the Central map on it, and then she placed several documents on the map.

"About a year ago, a band of soldiers led by Olivier Mira Armstrong and Roy Mustang attacked the High Command. They encountered a legion of artificially-created soldiers. Those soldiers were infused with Philosopher Stones, making them almost unkillable."

She made a gulp, then continued.

"The old government and the military have long been experimenting on the creation of such Stones, which has just been outlawed recently. Such experiments took place in the Central Laboratories, headed by experienced State Alchemists.

"So, what does this has to do with our case, Gertrude?"

"I don't know," Gertrude scratched her head. She took out her red pen and began marking the locations of the Laboratories. "The Labs surround the Central Headquarter. If you draw a line between them, they should form a pentagon."

Fido pointed at the Fourth Laboratory, "look, this place is just half a kilometer away from where they attacked me.

Gertrude thought about that for a while, then her eyes widened. "Could it be?

"Then months ago, seventeen civilians were killed near the First Lab. Eight months ago, people were killed near the Second Lab. Three months ago, Third Lab. And now the Fourth Lab."

"Wait a minute, are you telling me the rebels have something to do with those Laboratories?"

"I don't know, Fido, but I think it's what the Lieutenant Colonel tried to tell us. We will investigate more tomorrow. For now, you can go home."

At 7 p.m., Fido finally arrived home. Despite his grumbling stomach, he did not even bother to have dinner. Instead, he fell on his bed and fell into sleep."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: A New Surprise

February 7th, 1921

The State Alchemist Gertrude Houston and her assistant investigate the Fourth Laboratory

Gertrude searched around the room. Apart from the large transmutation circle in the middle of the room, there were also signs of recent alchemical reactions. Additionally, dried blood was scattered all over the floor.

"So this is where they created the Philosopher's Stone," mutter Fido. "I don't like this place."

"There is a reason all the Laboratories were shut down," said Gertrude. "Apparently anything happened here was really unethical."

They recorded the clues they found. First of all was the large transmutation circle, next was the strange runes drawn on the doors, and any other suspicious thing. Central soldiers commanded by Alex Armstrong had also secured the other Laboratories as well.

For some reason, Fido felt incredibly uneasy.

_Weird,_ he thought, _I feel as though someone is following me._

He continued to work, but the feeling kept bugging him.

"Alright, that's enough," Gertrude Houston declared, "let's go back to the HQ, Fido."

"I don't think so." A voice spoke.

Fido and Gertrude turned around, startled. A figure stepped out from the shadow. It was a teenage girl with long sidetails and a faceful of freckles. Fido could swear that he had seen the girl somewhere, but he could not remember.

"Who are you?" Gertrude asked; her voice sounded a little annoyed.

The girl smiled, "the name is Francine, but just call me Fran," she said, and turned to Fido, "we met at the Second Branch Library, remember?"

A light bulb sparked inside Fido's head. "Oh right, I bumped into you."

"Precisely."

"What do you want from us?" Gertrude asked again, this time she sounded even more impatient.

Fran suddenly grew serious, "I need you to help me."

"Sorry, not interested," Gertrude said coldly. She headed for the door, but before she could get out, Fran took out her coat, revealing the runes embroidered on her gloves. Her gloves lit up with electric sparks, and a wall rose up right in front of Gertrude. The Lightning Alchemist could not stop herself in time, and her face slammed into the wall.

"You will listen what I have to say!"

Fido helped Gertrude stand up. He glanced at the mysterious girl. She is surely not someone to underestimate.

"Alright, we are all ears," he said at last.

"Wise move," said the girl. "Let me introduce myself once again. I am Francine Lawrence, a member of the rebels."

**Author's notes: The girl has returned! And she is an antagonist. What is she doing here? Find out in the next chapter.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Francine Lawrence

"So, you are with the rebels," sneered Gertrude Houston.

"Yes," said Francine Lawrence, "we are the Loyalists, those who loyal to the old government."

"The same government that annihilated the whole Ishvalan population, waged pointless wars with every single country around us, and almost sacrificed its own population," said Gertrude.

Francine said nothing to deny it; she just merely shrugged, "it was a powerful government. Without such power, we are just a puny nation, waiting to be crushed by powers like Drachma and Crete," she said, but she did not sound like she believed in it.

Anyway, I have been following you for a while, Major Houston," Francine said to Gertrude, "you have been trying to capture my friends; it's something I cannot allow."

Fido frowned. "So you are the one who helped the rebels escape."

"Bravo, you got it!" She made a mocking clap.

Francine walked around the large circle in the middle of the chamber. She spoke again, this time her voice was shaking and humorless. "As alchemists, you two must know about the Philosopher's Stone. It is the most powerful energy source on earth, However, to create it an enormous toll must be paid; thousands and thousands of human souls.

"The process of creation itself is also complicate. In order to initiate the ritual, a blood crest is required. That's the reason we murder the people of Central City."

"You bitch!" Gertrude growled. She activated the silver medal strapped on her belt, sending an electric bolt to hit Francine right in the chest. The girl fell down instantly; she was shaking like mad.

The ground grumbled, then collapsed as a creature busted onto the ground. It was a giant snake with three heads: one cobra, one viper, and one diamondback.

"A chimera!" Gertrude exclaimed. She hit the chimera with a zap, but the zap was nothing but a mere irritation for the beast. In return, its three heads sprayed a shower of venom on her and Fido.

Fido suddenly felt his limbs as heavy as lead. He tried to lift his arm, but it was futile. "Why can't I move?"

Francine walked toward the three-headed snake and dearly petted its scaled skin. "Hydra has developed special venom which paralyzes any creature exposed to it, all thanks to a rather… special diet."

Francine Lawrence stared at the defeated alchemists as they fell down. _Now there is only one last step._ She thought.

**Author notes: Next chapter will have Alex Armstrong in action. It would be awesome, I hope.**


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